The Girl Guides of Canada, the country’s equivalent of the Girl Scouts, is suspending all trips to the United States over concerns for the safety of its members amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
The charity organization, which is focused on empowering girls through skill building and friendship, said in a statement emailed on Friday that its decision was rooted in its “commitment to inclusivity and the safety of all our members.” It was prompted, the statement said, “by the recent restrictions put on equal entry into the United States.”
The organization said that some of its members may hold citizenship from countries other than Canada, and could be affected by recent changes to U.S. immigration policies. In June, President Trump barred citizens of 12 countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, from entering the United States and restricted visas for citizens of seven others.
The Girl Guides said that its pause on U.S. travel would take effect next month. The organization, which has over 60,000 active members, did not provide details about how many trips were canceled or how long the pause would last.
The announcement comes as U.S.-Canada relations are at a low point.
Mr. Trump has threatened to annex America’s vast northern neighbor and has imposed broad tariffs on imports from Canada. Last week, those tariffs were increased to 35 percent from 25 percent after trade negations between the two countries collapsed. Mr. Trump has often tied his trade threats to demands for increased border security, accusing Canada of allowing unauthorized migrants and illicit drugs to enter the United States.
Amid the administration’s crackdown, a group of Canadian trade unions that represent college professors recently warned against nonessential travel to the United States, and Canadian news agencies reported that some Canadian schools have canceled or suspended cross-border field trips to avoid what one administrator called “potential negative experiences at the border.”
In one case that drew outrage, Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian actor, said she was put “in chains” and held for 12 days by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Ysidro, Calif., after ICE officers flagged her visa application paperwork as she crossed the border from Mexico.
Earlier this year, the Canadian government issued updated travel guidance warning citizens entering the United States to “expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices.” The guidelines warned, “If you are denied entry, you could be detained while awaiting deportation.”
The U.S. crackdown has prompted a drop in Canadian tourists and business travelers. According to Canada’s national statistics office, the number of Canadian residents returning from trips to the U.S. fell by nearly 32 percent in May compared with the same month in 2024.
Jonathan Wolfe is a Times reporter based in London, covering breaking news.
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